Speaking in his press conference, the Austrian coach revealed that Cheick Doucoure, Caleb Kporha and Chadi Riad will all be sidelined, leaving Palace stretched in key areas of the pitch.
For the Reds, head coach Arne Slot still has attacking concerns to resolve following Hugo Ekitike’s suspension. The forward was dismissed in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton, ruling him out of contention. Slot hinted that Alexander Isak, who netted his first goal for the club in that same fixture, is likely to feature more prominently against Palace, though he may not yet be ready for a full 90 minutes.
The Dutchman explained that Isak is still building fitness:
> “He’s making progress and now at the stage where 60 to 70 minutes is realistic, depending on the intensity of the game.”
Elsewhere, young defender Giovanni Leoni has been dealt a huge blow after suffering an ACL injury against Southampton, which will keep him out for the remainder of the season. The setback is particularly cruel for the 18-year-old, who only joined from Parma this summer.
Palace, meanwhile, do have some positives with Ismaila Sarr fit again after missing three games, while Yeremy Pino has also been cleared to play despite a recent knock. Glasner said both players had trained fully and are in contention to start.
Even with those returns, Palace’s lack of depth in midfield and defence could give Liverpool an edge as the reigning champions aim to maintain their strong momentum at the start of the 2025/26 campaign.
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